PDA

View Full Version : Journal RHoD based Pathfinder campaign, part 3



afgun
2018-06-16, 03:46 PM
Thought I'd try my hand at posting up about my campaign. We switch off DMs and game systems. We just resumed my game this week.

The setting is a modified Forgotten Realms in between 3.5 and 4e timeline. We are using Pathfinder rules and I've (mistakenly?) allowed warforged in the game, though the player with a warforged is going to be bringing in a different character.

The big customization is that all of the high level NPCs died during the spellplague. This actually creates a need for adventurers again rather than the contrived stories of higher level NPCs being bored or otherwise unwilling to deal with various threats.

Anyways, we just started part 3 of the Red Hand of Doom. I've set it west of Cormyr around the Marsh of Tun. Each member of the party has been arrested and, due to a little frontier corruption, pressed into the service of a local trading coster to work off their "debt." Their employer has sent them to the frontier town of Drellin's Ferry in search of a magical bowl that rumor said was lost near there decades ago.

The group routed the hobgoblins of Vraath keep quite easily (they're a party of 7) and went on to crush the monsters at Skull Gorge Bridge as well adding 4 days to the timeline, but the dragon escaped. They returned to Drellin's Ferry and convinced the townsfolk to evacuate.

On their way to the ruins of Rhest, they let a greenspawn razorfiend escape, met the Tiri Kitor and engaged the ogres at the ruins of Rhest. Unfortunately, Regiarix escaped as well as Saarvith, so the horde will be more powerful in the final confrontation (that's OK... this is an experienced oversized group). They failed to impress the elves, who opted to not fly them with their owls.

This worked out since the group is running well ahead of the timeline of the horde, and I was hoping for events to slow them down a little. They also decided to go to Brindol since the dragon escaped with the ghostlord's phylactery. They were also thinking about going to confront this great evil undead and I seasoned things with some stories they picked up in the city that was preparing for war.

So, on to part 3.

3 of the group decided to stay behind for their own reasons (players wanted to bring in new characters). The group that left Brindol consists of 4 level 7 characters.

Will Fletcher, a human bard with a family connection to a character in a previous campaign.

Saol Kaine, a human Oracle who has taken a vow to not kill.

Grand, a half-orc Ranger with a big cat animal companion that the party calls a dog. Interestingly nobody commented on the fact that it grew to large size when they leveled up between adventures.

Ceareon, a human Bloodrager with the elemental bloodline of air. Unfortunate damage magnet as well.


They left Brindol after reprovisioning and argued for several days along the way about how to deal with this undead druid. 4 days into their travels, nearing the area marked on Koth's map as "Ghostlord," they were traveling through the edge of the Thornwaste and, coming around a low ridge, the earth shook for a few seconds. The startled party paused, wondering what was going on (ed: players were nervous as well; previous campaign, a mountain blew apart in a massive volcanic eruption that covered Neverwinter in mud and ash, so I'm sure that's where their minds were at). Their mounts were nervous and started whickering.

After a brief discussion, they were about to start moving again when the tremors started again. The mounted party scattered, and something sounded like crushing rocks on the small rise that Ceareon rode up next to. Suddenly, this huge creature was flying through the air and landed next to him, though it did not attack that moment. Will felt ill as he looked at the Bulette (ed: another link to a previous campaign... his grandfather lost a leg to one) but he overcame his fear and started to inspire courage in his fellow adventurers.

Grand started loosing arrows while Saol rode up and called upon the divine powers to bless everyone in their attacks. The creature mauled Ceareon and he was hurt badly, when an older woman with graying hair ran down the slope of the ridge and joined in the attack. Together, everyone slew the bulette. Saol healed Ceareon while the woman introduced herself as Khairunnisa Stanislaw, a former prison guard (ed: another tie in to a prevoius campaign... I love my players) who was out searching for her missing grandson. According to her, she picked up a rumor that he might be with goblins helping this Ghostlord character. After a brief discussion, they let her join with them in their quest to deal with the druid.

They continued on for several hours, and came to a giant carved lion in the scrub. They decided to approach, and were surprised to see flying ghostly lions, though they quickly learned that the lions ignored them. Moving nearer, the noticed stairs under the massive lion head, and went to investigate. Ceareon led the group, and was surprised when a massive blue creature reared up and breathed lightning on him (ed: but due to his air elemental blood and my poor rolling, he barely took any damage). Khairunnisa charged up the stairs to help Ceareon while the giant blue lizard (later identified as a behir) grabbed him with its massive jaws. Ceareon broke the hold while Will started singing, and Grand flung arrows at the lizard, but it attacked again and this time swallowed Ceareon whole!

Grand continued furiously firing arrows into the behir and Will joined in while Ceareon fought a desperate battle for his life, breaking back out of the creature's gullet and finally out of its jaws. Khair dispatched the lizard (just before it was going to surrender and bargain for its life) and we ended the session.